Many accounts of the Second Punic War come from Polybius and Livy, neither of whom were alive when the events they describe took place and wrote only from Rome’s perspective. After weathering the worst of Hannibal’s assault, Rome struck back under the brilliance of Scipio and finally, on the field at Zama, Carthage’s dream came crashing to an end. The brilliance of Hannibal as a strategist and tactician cannot be denied he came closer than anyone else ever had or would to toppling Roman power, but his failure was underestimating Rome’s ability to endure. Catastrophic defeats at Trebia, Lake Trasimene and Cannae shattered any faith Rome’s allies had in them, and almost imploded the Republic. It was a hard fought victory for Rome, however Hannibal Barca’s campaign in Italy, following his daring crossing of the Alps, nearly brought Rome to ruin. It marked the end of a contest for power in the Mediterranean - the establishment of Roman hegemony over the entire Italian peninsula and deep into Iberia. The Second Punic War is, arguably, the most sweeping, destructive war of ancient times.
